


Just Watch Me

by Winnsday



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, COE Fix-it, Children of Earth Fix-It, Established Relationship, F/M, M/M, Oral Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:33:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27122557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winnsday/pseuds/Winnsday
Summary: Jack and Ianto post-COE. The Earth is still too small for the both of them, so they take to the stars. Gwen rebuilds Torchwood. Something(s) lost a long time ago has been found. Sort of.
Relationships: Gwen Cooper/Rhys Williams, Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones, Owen Harper/Toshiko Sato
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	Just Watch Me

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever fic I've written. Criticism is more than welcome. Un-beta'd. All errors are mine (if there are any, I did my best at proofreading myself.) Also, I totally made up the planet names. Sorry if they're ridiculous. Thanks for reading!

It had been 17 days, 13 hours, and 36, no, 37 minutes since they last had sex. Not that Ianto was counting, mind you. Even out here, he had decided to keep his watch synced with BST, so he would know how long they'd been away from Gwen, from Torchwood, and from Earth. His watch is the only reason he knew how long it had been since the last time he and Jack had sex. Well, it's not like there'd really been any time for it, what with all the running. 

Because of said running, the days and nights seemed to blend into a mass of sleep, eat, fly the ship, repeat. It also didn't help that out here, with no lightening and darkening sky to mark the passage of the time, Ianto only had his trusty watch and their "shifts" to rely upon. If one of them was flying the sleek, little ship, the other was sleeping while they could, in between destinations.

The last place they were was a lovely little planet by the name of Olinari. The people were peaceful and welcoming to travelers, which was lucky for them. Unfortunately, traveling with Jack means that there's bound to be some trouble to get into, no matter how hospitable a place is. This time, he had royally pissed off some alien bureaucrat by flirting with their daughter. Ianto would've sighed, exasperated, had it not been for the burning muscles, shortness of breath, and the stitch in his side as they were running away from the town. It didn’t help the atmosphere was much hotter and drier than he was accustomed to, being from Wales. These aliens were humanoid and reptilian in nature. They had burnt orange skin and were bipedal, but they had tails and slitted pupils, like you would expect from a lizard. The only features they shared with humans were having pronounced ears. That’s where the similarities stopped.

The fact is, this is not the first, nor will it be the last time this situation has occurred. Luck remained on their side, though, because the ships chasing them gave up once they left the planetary system. Now, here they are, with Ianto on his flying shift, contemplating how long it's been since they last had sex, and Jack asleep in the very spartan cabin behind the cockpit. The room is small, but it suits their needs just fine with a set of bunks, a small wardrobe, and a single porthole window.

As he's pondering the passage of time, Ianto realizes that it’s been nearly an Earth year since they left Cardiff. It's been 357 days, to be exact. In that almost year, he's seen and done more than he could have ever dreamed, even working for Torchwood. Nothing quite compares to immersing yourself directly in alien cultures and gaining firsthand experience. On Earth, they rarely ever got to see the beauty of the universe, just the detritus of whatever was swallowed up and spit back out by the rift. Occasionally, they'd have visitors that came by way of teleport or ship, but even with the tourists, most of what they saw was just trash or evil or a victim of the rift.

Ianto startles a bit when a warm hand lands on his shoulder, breaking him out of his reverie.

"Hey," says Jack, in a sleep-roughened voice.

"Hey, yourself. Sleep well?" Ianto asks, as he glances over his shoulder and lifts a hand to cover Jack's.

Jack just shrugs and takes the co-pilot's seat, next to Ianto, and places his hand on Ianto's thigh.

"How far are we from Talbera?" Jack asks.

"We'll be there in about 5 hours. You should've gotten more sleep."

"Yeah, I know, but you know I don't…"

"…need much sleep, I know," Ianto finishes with a small sigh. 

A comfortable silence fell between them as Ianto continued to fly the ship, and Jack was lost in his thoughts. After about half an hour, Ianto spoke.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Jack glances sideways at him and smiles softly.

"I was just thinking about how we got here. I don't mean Olinari, I mean leaving Earth. How long has it been? Feels like no time at all," Jack says wistfully.

"It's been 357 Earth days since we left. We're coming up on an anniversary," Ianto chuckles.

"Wow, almost a whole year. Missing Cardiff yet?"

"A little. Mostly, I miss Gwen. I don't know how I could go back to ordinary life after all this."

"Torchwood was never ordinary, Ianto," Jack says with a smirk.

"Well, it wasn't by any sane person's standards, no, but it was my ordinary – our ordinary," he corrected.

"What do you say we surprise Gwen and go back for our one-year anniversary? Surely, she's had the baby by now, and is back running the new team."

"But what about Talbera?"

"Talbera will still be there when we come back out here. Besides, what better way to spend an anniversary than with family?"

"I suppose. Care to put in the coordinates? We should be about a week's flight from Earth, not accounting for pit stops," Ianto adds, already making a mental list of supplies they needed to top up.

Jack enters Earth's coordinates into their nav system, then stands and holds his hand out to Ianto.

"Come on, it's your turn to get some sleep," Jack says sternly.

"I'm - " Ianto starts, but Jack cuts him off.

"Don't try to say you're fine. You've got shadows under your eyes that look like you got punched in the face."

Ianto pauses, amused at the comparison, then says, "Fine. But I'm sleeping in your bunk."

Jack chuckles and leans over to kiss him. Ianto deepens the kiss, drawing it out, keeping it soft and sensual. Jack recognizes what he's doing, and he breaks the kiss.

"Bed, now!"

"Alright, alright, I'm going."

Jack playfully smacks his arse as he gets up from the pilot's chair and turns towards their sleep quarters.

"Do that again, and you can put the ship on autopilot and join me," Ianto says, pitching his voice lower, in the way he knows drives Jack mad.

"As tempting as that is... Nope. Off to sleep with you."

Ianto grumbles to himself "... 17 bloody days..."

"I heard that!"

Ianto smirks to himself, then shuts the door to their cabin, and lays down to get some sleep. He really is quite exhausted. The last few days have been crazy. Well, no crazier than usual, he supposes. That's his last thought before he falls into a deep, dreamless sleep.

1 year and 7 months prior...

“… you did what?!” Ianto exclaims with quiet shock.

“I… may or may not have… somehow… transferred some of my immortality to you,” Jack nearly whispers.

“I – what does that even mean?” Ianto is still quiet, but there’s an edge of desperation in his voice that Jack can clearly pick up on, but he can’t figure out what it’s for.

I can’t tell if he’s upset, angry, or thrilled by this. It was an accident, just a kiss goodbye… Jack thinks to himself, while chewing on his lower lip.

“Well, it really shouldn’t be possible in the first place, but you may or may not be able to die. Or, rather, stay dead,” Jack says, a little louder than before.

Ianto is shocked into silence. His mind is a jumble of ohgodohgodohgod and Jack. He’s feeling just a bit hysterical, so he lets out an aborted laugh. It’s high-pitched and breathless and entirely appropriate, considering the situation he’s just found himself in. Ianto and Jack are in the autopsy bay, with Gwen standing at the railing above, watching with wide eyes and a surprised “O.”

The thing is… Ianto was dead. He died alongside Jack, trying to stand up to the 456. He remembered dying. Then he remembered waking up in the morgue, with Gwen and Jack crying over his body, or what was supposed to be just his body, but was actually him, very much alive. He hadn’t experienced the type of “being drug over broken glass” revival that Jack did, he just simply woke up. As if he’d been taking a pleasant cat nap in between rift crises. It was like that, these days, with just the three of them. They were stretched so thin, he hadn’t seen his own bed in at least a week, he couldn’t remember, and okay you’re drifting, Jones, Ianto interrupted his own derailing train of thoughts. Then, one more thought sneaks through, I need proof.

Ianto takes several deep breaths to calm himself and forces his white-knuckled fists to relax, then he walks over to the tray of scalpels, picks one up, and slices his forearm. There’s a gasp from above and behind him. He watches in fascination as the skin knits itself back together, the only proof of a cut being the now drying blood let behind. Then, in the steadiest voice he can muster, he says, “I quit.”

There’s a pregnant silence in the room, you could’ve heard a pin drop. Gwen is the first to find words.

“What?!” she shouts, and both Jack and Ianto flinch at the sudden noise and volume. “What does that mean, ‘I quit?!’”

Ianto simply smiles up at her, finally finding some solid stream of thought. He gave his life, in the line of duty. He was done with Torchwood. He had fulfilled his duty and oaths to protect humanity until his final breath. After a moment, he speaks softly.

“It means, PC Gwen Cooper, that I am hereby handing in my official notice of resignation from the Torchwood Institute. Oh, I’ll stay long enough to train my replacement, but then, I’m done.”

“Ianto, are you –, “ Jack starts, moving closer and reaching out to Ianto.

“Yeah, Jack, I’m sure. I know you’ve given your life more times than I can imagine for us, for Torchwood, but, potentially up to this point, I’ve only had the one life. I gave it up in the line of duty. For Queen and Country and the whole bloody world,” Ianto replies with the same quiet voice that he spoke in before, only this time with more conviction. He reaches back towards Jack, grabbing his hand and entwining their fingers before again saying, “I quit.”

“What are you going to do?” demands Gwen, trying to hide the wobble in her voice.

“I dunno. Travel the world? I’ve got the funds for it, and it would give me a chance to see what else is out there, besides the rain and the cold and the alien garbage that slips through all the time.” Ianto shrugs. He doesn’t have a plan, exactly, but at this point, he doesn’t particularly care, as long as he gets out. 

Jack’s standing silently off to the side, still holding Ianto’s hand, then seems to come to some kind of silent decision, squaring his shoulders and clenching his jaw.

“Then I am too,” he states clearly.

Both Gwen and Ianto whip around to stare at him, open-mouthed.

“WHAT?!” Gwen shrieks, making Jack and Ianto flinch again.

Ianto closes his mouth and narrows his eyes. He studies Jack’s face for any sign of hesitance or indecision, and he’s mostly relieved – and somewhat surprised¬ – to see there is none. Just the warm, soft glint of adventure. There’s a sparkle in Jack’s eyes and a small smile on his face that hasn’t been there since before Tosh and Owen died. Ianto feels a pressure in his chest at the look of quiet excitement on Jack’s beautiful features.

Gwen is crying openly now, no longer able to hold it inside. She runs down the steps to the autopsy bay and throws herself at both of them. She sobs out, “What am I going to do without you two? No one could ever compare.”

As Jack and Ianto both wrap their arms around her, both soothing and petting her hair and back, Jack responds, “You’ll be amazing. You’ve done this before, and this time you’re actually ready. We’re not going to be gone forever. We’ll be back to see you.”

“We?” Ianto asks, incredulously. “You want to come with me?”

Jack frowns at him. “Of course, I want to come with you! If you would you want me?” he asks, suddenly nervous.

Ianto takes pity on him and presses a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth. He says softly, “You magnificent man, of course, I want you to come with me.”

Gwen’s tears are falling harder now, but she stays quiet, watching the two men stare at each other. After a few moments, the spell breaks, and both men turn to look at her. She shakily reaches out both of her arms, and Jack and Ianto both grab one of her hands, forming an intimate little triangle. There are no more words on the matter, because both men have made up their minds, and Gwen can’t do anything to change them. That only makes it harder. She’s stood up to aliens and Jack and even the bloody shady government, but this is one battle she knows she can’t win.

“Come on,” Ianto says, patting Jack and Gwen’s shoulders. “Work to do.”

\----------

In the following month, Jack, Ianto, and Gwen managed to recruit four people: Lois Habiba, Martha Jones, Mickey Smith, and, surprisingly, Agent Johnson. The last because they needed someone with good field experience, and despite Mickey’s firsthand tales, he tended to take after the Doctor’s crazy habits, but with guns. Besides, it turned out that Mickey was a natural when it came to understanding alien computers like Mainframe. He didn’t hold a candle to Tosh, but he definitely had the potential. Martha was a perfect choice for the doctor’s position, and Lois was a very experienced PA, so she took over most of Ianto’s duties. Ianto did have to teach her how to work the alien contraption he calls a coffee machine twice, but that’s not surprising. 

Ianto really liked Lois – she picked up on his filing system immediately, and just overall seemed very competent. Gwen loved having Martha around, not just because she was an excellent doctor, but because she was no longer the only woman employed by Torchwood. She supposed that Johnson counted, too, but Gwen’s still bitter over the whole “blowing up and burying Jack in cement” debacle. Jack had sworn she was just doing her job, and she could be trusted. Gwen even saw a bit of a change of heart when she revealed what their elected governments were planning to do with the world’s children, but still, one doesn’t simply move on from something like that so soon.

Things seemed to really be coming together for the new team, with Johnson taking up the firearms and field combat training, Ianto leading the archiving and cataloguing, and Jack and Gwen gearing up for the exchange of power – all the passcodes and protocols that went with it – when Jack and Ianto were ready to leave. Gwen would be the official Head of the Torchwood Institute. As daunting as that thought was, she agreed with Jack. She was ready for it this time.

Jack and Ianto were getting antsy. Their sense of wanderlust was becoming overpowering. There were other reasons Jack wanted to leave the UK behind, but he didn’t want to think about that, not when the wound was so fresh. He couldn’t afford to let the grief of his daughter and late grandson consume him, so he allowed himself 5 minutes each night, when Ianto was sound asleep next to him, to think about them, and to pray to whatever deities out there that his daughter may one day find peace. He didn’t think it likely, but he hoped, nonetheless.

Ianto would sometimes observe Jack in the darkness of his bedroom when Jack thought him to be asleep. Jack would sometimes be asleep, but most often, Ianto would catch him with a frown, a faraway look, and unshed tears in his eyes. He knew he must be thinking of his daughter, Alice, and his grandson, Steven. When Jack told Ianto how the 456 had been defeated – or just driven away – Ianto’s heart broke for him. There was nothing he could say in response, so he just held hard onto Jack while they both cried for Steven and Alice.

One morning, Ianto woke up before Jack and quietly got out of bed to go to the kitchen and make coffee and toast for them. When he came back in the room, tray in hand, Jack was sitting up against the headboard, reading the book Ianto had had on his nightstand for longer than he could remember. He got back into bed and balanced the breakfast tray between their legs as best he could. He was just taking his first sip of coffee when Jack broke the peaceful morning quiet.

“We should go today.”

Ianto almost choked on his coffee. “What? You want to leave this soon?” he spluttered.

“Yeah! I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ll be sad to leave Gwen behind, but I’m ready to get out of here.”

“You… don’t think it’s too soon to leave her on her own and in charge?” Ianto asks hesitantly.

“No. Well, maybe a bit, but she’s good under pressure. That’s been proven before,” Jack said regretfully.

Ianto ignored Jack’s little bit of personal guilt and pressed on, “But what about everyone else? They’re still so new. They may not be ready yet.”

“Ianto. They’ll be fine. Between Mickey’s experiences with the Doctor, Martha’s great history as a doctor, Lois’ affinity for all things paper and coffee related, Johnson’s field expertise, and Gwen in charge, they’ll be magnificent.” He paused, considering. “Do you still want to go?” he asked timidly.

“Wha- Oh! Yes! Of course, I still want to go. I’m only concerned that we may be pushing the baby birds to try and fly too soon,” Ianto mumbles the last part, more to himself.

Jack looks beyond relieved. He lets out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Jack grabs Ianto’s free hand and turns it over to kiss his palm. He then lifts his mug of coffee from the tray and inhales the wonderful aroma. Letting out a soft moan, he takes his first sip of the day. They spend the rest of their morning in relative silence, only the sipping of coffee and crunching of toast making noises. It was quite peaceful. Ianto had a sinking feeling that it was the calm before the storm that was Gwen Cooper. She’s going to be furious, he thought to himself.

They arrived at 9, walking in leisurely, hand in hand. Everyone else had already arrived, the coffee was ready, and Gwen was occupying her new desk in her new office in the new building they had to acquire, due to the Hub being blown up along with Jack. The office space was completely ordinary, unlike the people and artifacts it contained within. Her Majesty the Queen was very understanding when Gwen sent in a requisition form for funds for an entire, moderately sized office building and all the security equipment they’d need to outfit it. It wouldn’t do to have someone end up on the wrong floor on their first day, and just stumble across Torchwood. Though, after the 456, the entire planet is well aware of the existence of aliens. Still, there’s dangerous equipment in there, not intended for the public. Gwen was just glad they weren’t in a dusty old warehouse again, hiding like fugitives. This place was at least well-lit and climate controlled, even if the walls were beige. 

Ianto and Jack immediately made a beeline for Gwen’s office after returning the quiet ‘good mornings’ to everyone else. Better to rip the band-aid off, Ianto thought.

“Jack! Ianto! Good morning,” Gwen greeted cheerfully.

“Morning, Gwen,” both men said in unison, then turned and chuckled at each other.

“What brings you into my office? Nothing bad, I hope?”

“No, not bad, per se,” Ianto starts nervously.

“But we’re leaving today,” Jack finishes.

Gwen all but stops breathing in her surprise. She stutters out, “W- What? No! You can’t! We’re not ready yet!”

Jack walks around the desk where Gwen is now standing and hugs her tightly. She grips back even harder, as if she can keep him there by sheer force of will. He leans down to say in her ear, “Yes, you are. You’ve been ready. You’re more prepared now than you will ever be, no matter how little you think you are.”

Ianto hangs back, unsure of if she wants comfort from him, as well. She sniffles, apparently, she’d been crying into Jack’s greatcoat, and then turns her bleary eyes on Ianto. “Get over here,” she gets out.

Immediately, he’s at her side, hanging onto both her and Jack, like his life depends on it. The trio stands there for an indeterminate amount of time, not caring for anything but this final moment together. They all know it’s not the last time they’ll ever see each other, but they’ve all been through so much together that it seems unreal to have two of them missing.

“You’ll be fantastic, Gwen. You have a great team with you, and you are one hell of a leader. I should know,” Ianto murmurs in her other ear.  
“Thanks, Ianto…” she trails off. Gwen steps back from both men and wipes the tear tracks from her cheeks. “I’ll miss you both. I hope you have fun.”

Jack leans down to kiss her cheek, and Ianto does the same a moment later. The men beat a hasty retreat, saying their goodbyes to everyone without lingering, because they’ve got to get home and pack. Neither Jack nor Ianto were terribly close with the new team, except Jack with Martha, but she understood why they left so quickly. She had done the same with the Doctor, once upon a time. Sometimes, there’s just an opportunity you can’t pass up for anything and staying would only change your mind. 

Once home, Ianto goes straight for the bedroom, while Jack goes into the kitchen. Ianto manages to pack enough clothes for both of them for two weeks into one suitcase, casual and dressy alike, and Jack has grabbed every bag of coffee Ianto owns (which is quite a few). After grabbing another suitcase and packing essentials like their toiletries and the coffee and some snacks for the road, they’re ready to head off. Jack stands in the doorway, as Ianto lingers in the foyer – if you could call the small front hallway that – and mentally says goodbye to the flat he’s had since he first moved back to Cardiff from London, after Canary Wharf. He’s got so many memories in this flat, and he’s not altogether sure when he’ll see it next. They did decide to travel the whole world, after all.

Jack grasps his hand gently and tugs. Ianto follows behind – he will always follow Jack – and closes and locks the door behind them. Setting off down the stairs, they both mentally come to terms with the fact that they’re really leaving. After over 100 years for Jack, and unnamable catastrophes for Ianto, they’re really leaving it all behind. As they settle into the taxi that will take them to the airport, and from there, wherever, Ianto contemplates where he wants to go first.

“I want to go to Japan first, Osaka, specifically. Visit Toshiko’s Family and tell them what happened to her. She died a hero, and they deserve to know,” Ianto says quietly, in the dingy backseat of the taxi.

“Okay. That’s a brilliant idea,” Jack replies with a small, sad smile.

They continue the rest of the ride in silence, just holding hands in the middle of the seat, Jack stroking odd patterns with his thumb on the back of Ianto’s hand. When they arrive at the airport, they don’t rush, they haven’t even bought their tickets yet. They walk, hand in hand, through the crowd, and eventually settle into seats, where they only have to wait an hour for their flight. As they sit there, contemplating the seriousness of their mutual decision to leave Torchwood, time begins to fly by, and all of a sudden, they’re both broken out of their reverie by the speakers calling out for their flight boarding.

The flight itself is uneventful. They flew in coach, so they were among the most ordinary humanity had to offer. Ianto fell asleep against Jack’s shoulder, and Jack laid his head on top of Ianto’s, trying to get some rest, if not sleep. About 17 hours later, the flight landed. Ianto had only slept for about 5 hours, and Jack 3. Having filled the rest of the flight with soft kisses and touches and meaningless crosswords and puzzles, they were both feeling cooped up and ready to get off the plane.

The two men file out of the plane, along with everyone else, go through customs, and catch a taxi to the address Jack kept locked away in Toshiko’s file. When they arrive, Jack tells the cabbie to wait, and he’ll pay him double not to drive off. This won’t be a long visit, then they’ll be back to the airport to pick their next destination.

As anticipated, the visit is fairly short – and extremely emotional – and they manage to make it back to the airport within two hours. They’re in the middle of a dilemma about France versus Germany. Paris wins out, not just for the obvious reasons, but because they were both aware of the history Germany had with the Osterhagen program. They both decide to go to Paris, for all the obvious reasons, and they set out for their second flight.

\----------

Ianto and Jack traveled the world for 6 months before they made their way back to Cardiff. They had been to at least one country on every continent and were more than ready to return home to say their potential final goodbye to Gwen. Ianto had had to purchase a third suitcase for all the bits and bobs they picked up during their travels to bring back to Gwen for souvenirs. Finally returning home felt like a breath of fresh air, no matter how brief it may be. There was an air of anticipation between the two men, crackling and sparking, because they knew what was coming next, and they couldn’t wait.

One cold night, Jack sends a text to Gwen with coordinates that will lead her to the top of a hill, on the outskirts of Cardiff. He and Ianto stand waiting for nearly half an hour in the freezing temperature before Gwen shows up, with Rhys in tow.

As she waddles up the hill, very pregnant, she raises her voice so they’ll hear her, “Couldn’t have just chosen a pub, could you?”

Rhys pipes up, beside her, “It’s bloody freezing… My feet.”

Jack smirks and says, “Oh, I’ll miss that, the Welsh complaining.” He leans over to whisper in Ianto’s ear, “Though probably not.” He returns his gaze to Gwen. “You look good.”

“I look huge,” she complains.

After a beat, Rhys says, “She’s bloody gorgeous,” and everyone laughs.

Gwen approaches Jack and Ianto, hand on her belly, with Rhys hanging behind. She tentatively asks them both, “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Jack says solemnly. 

“Did it work?” Gwen asks in a timid voice.

“We traveled all sorts of places. Nairobi, Guatemala, Japan, Paris, Taiwan… This planet is too small. Whole world is… like a graveyard.”

“Come back with us,” Gwen pleads. 

“Haven’t traveled far enough yet,” Jack says, matter of fact. “Got a lot of dirt to shake off my shoes… And right now, there’s a cold-fusion cruiser surfing the ion reefs, just at the edge of the solar system, just waiting to open its transport dock. We just need to send a signal.”

Gwen holds up a finger, indicating one moment, please and retrieves Jack’s Vortex Manipulator from her coat pocket. She says, “We found it in the wreckage. Indestructible, just like its owner. I, uh, put on a new strap for you.”

“Cost me fifty quid, that!” Rhys exclaims.

“Bill me,” Jack replies sarcastically. Ianto chuckles in the background.

“Are you ever coming back, Jack, Ianto?” Gwen says, her voice full of tears unshed.

“What for?”

“Me,” Gwen exclaims softly. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I think it was,” Jack says, equally choked up. “Steven and Owen and Tosh and Suzie and… all of them, because of me.”

“But y-y-you saved us, didn’t you?”

“I began to like it,” Jack responds regretfully. “And look what I became… Still, I have lived so many lives… it’s time to find another one.” Jack takes a step back to join Ianto and presses a button on his Manipulator.

“But they died, and I am sorry, Jack, but cannot just run away, you cannot run away,” Gwen sobs out.

“Oh, yes, I can… Just watch me,” he says with a finality as he and Ianto disappear in a flash of blue-white light.

Gwen is left behind, standing on the hill, sobbing. Rhys steps up and put a comforting arm around her.

“Let’s go home, yeah?” he says quietly.

“Yeah,” she whispers back, and they walk back to the car, get inside, and drive home in silence.

Present Day…

It’s been 13 days, 9 hours, and 23, no, 24 minutes since they last had sex. Not that Ianto is counting, mind you. Not while he’s sleeping.

Ianto wakes up to the sound of Jack’s wrist strap beeping. That never beeps… he thinks sleepily. He’s too groggy to process the consequences of a beeping wrist strap. Then he remembers, and he sits up with a start, bumping his head on the bottom of the top bunk. Jack! What is it now! He mentally shouts, grumpy that he was awoken early, and expecting news from John Hart, no less.

“Morning, sunshine!” Jack says, far too cheery for having just woke up. “I’ve been up for hours, waiting on you.” 

Ah, that explains it, Ianto concedes. He scowls at Jack, who’s got a plate of a full English fry up. Bacon, sausages, eggs, black pudding, beans, tomatoes, toast, and, of course, coffee. The scowl quickly turns into an expression of suspicion.

“Where did you get all that?” Ianto asks

“I may have been hiding it all away for a special occasion,” Jack explains, faux innocently.

“And what, exactly, is the special occasion?” Ianto questions, still apprehensive.

“Did you seriously forget, Mr. I-Set-My-Watch-To-British-Time?” Jack inquires, mockingly.

Ianto looks down at his watch and blushes. Shit. I did forget, didn’t I? He mumbles, “… it’s our anniversary.”

“What was that? Didn’t quite catch it.”

“It’s our anniversary,” Ianto says louder, this time.

“That’s right! And do you know what anniversary it is today, Ianto?” Jack asks, barely containing his excitement.

“Our first date,” Ianto murmurs, blushing harder.

“Another point to Jones, Ianto Jones. You’ll never guess what I have in store for you today. The ship’s on autopilot, and we’re still a few days from Talbera, where no one can get to us,” Jack states proudly.

“That sounds more ominous than promising,” Ianto grumbles, but he smiles, nonetheless.

“Oh, hush. You’re just grumpy because I woke you up,” Jack says, returning the smile.

“Yes. Why, precisely, did you wake me up early? Or was this lovely breakfast the only reason?”

“Early? Who said it was early? You’ve been dead to the universe for almost 12 hours,” Jack replies with a smirk.

“Oh,” Ianto says, contrite. “Why didn’t you wake me for my shift?”

“You were so tired, I figured I’d let you sleep. I’m fine, anyway,” Jack says, shrugging. “Anyway, join me in the cockpit, and we can enjoy our breakfast. Then the fun begins.” He waggles his eyebrows.

Ianto follows Jack into the cockpit, and they turn the seats around to face the fold-down table against the wall to eat their breakfast. The meal is spent in companionable silence as both men enjoy real food for the first time since they visited Gwen, all those months ago. The visit to Gwen’s new two-story house on the beach had been just what they needed. It was a nice two-week break from all the running. Gwen’s baby, Anwen, had been born, and gotten chubby with baby fat – she was an adorable little cherub. Gwen had taken Jack and Ianto to the newly rebuilt Hub, where they were shocked into silence at how much it felt and looked like before. There were some minor differences, but they were mostly upgraded technology. All in all, the visit had been perfect.

Jack and Ianto had helped out with chasing and capturing a few weevils while they were there, nothing major. They figured, why not? They were there for a little while, with no plans besides visiting with Gwen and her family. The weevil hunting was almost tame in comparison to the situations the men had found themselves in more recently, a predicament on a recently terraformed planet called Jesterin III being the most recent of their troubles.

Jesterin III had been almost a dwarf of a planet, with extremely low gravity. It was beautiful, though, with a lavender colored sky and rolling cobalt blue hills. The trees, or what resembled trees, had deep red trunks and yellow leaves. The aliens Jack and Ianto encountered there looked like furry octopi. They had eight limbs that vaguely resembled tentacles without the suckers, bulbous heads with forward facing eyes, and they existed in every color you could possibly imagine. They walked, or rather hopped, on their tentacles. 

The so-called predicament came when Jack unknowingly touched someone’s reproduction tentacle. Suddenly, the men found themselves being chased by a flock of angry, furry octopi. While not the oddest experience Ianto’s had so far, it’s certainly not one he thought he’d ever find himself in. The men ran and ran across the blue hills until they finally reached their ship, panting, and Jack had been laughing. Ianto couldn’t help but laugh as well. They boarded the ship and flew away, searching for a new destination.

That was 14 days ago. Now, here they sit, as if nothing ever happened, enjoying their English breakfast. Both men are lost in their own thoughts while they eat. The only noises were the hum of the ship, cutlery against metal plates, and the chewing and contented sounds of the two. Once both plates were cleared, Ianto spoke.

“So, what’s this secret special plan you have brewing for us, Jack?”

“Well, I was thinking sex, sex, maybe a nap, then more sex,” he lists off, ticking everything on his fingers.

“By the sounds of that, the nap will definitely be necessary,” Ianto chuckles.

Jack pouts a bit, then he starts to gather the plates and cutlery to rinse and store until they can properly wash them. He turns to Ianto and holds out his hand. Ianto takes it, rising to meet Jack, eye to eye. Their lips are just a hairs breadth apart, and the two men pause, just breathing quickly and staring into each other’s eyes. Neither is sure who pounced first, but suddenly, their lips are crashing together with nearly bruising force. Two sets of hands begin to scramble for shirts and buttons. Jack succeeds in first divesting Ianto of his black t-shirt, then begins to work on the seemingly complicated buttons of his cargo pants. It’s turned into a battle for dominance between the two men, and Ianto successfully get Jack’s blue dress shirt off, and is now working on his belt buckle.

Jack proceeds to kiss the breath out of Ianto, and when they break for air, he mouths his way down Ianto’s jaw, to his neck. He bites down hard on the junction where shoulder meets neck and Ianto lets out an involuntary whimper, and Jack knows he’s got the upper hand now. He rakes his blunt nails down Ianto’s back, leaving long, red welts in their wake. Ianto releases a breathy moan, this time, and digs his fingers into Jack’s shoulder blades, trying to pull him closer.

Jack releases his jaw’s grip on Ianto’s shoulder to see a deep reddish-purple bruise has formed already. He takes pride in marking Ianto’s fair skin. He sees it as a canvas, just waiting to be painted. He makes his way back up to Ianto’s mouth, and kisses him again, softer this time. Jack recognizes that faraway look in Ianto’s eyes, and it means that he’s beginning to slip into subspace. Jack growls in approval and dives in for another rough kiss that’s all teeth biting and tongues sliding. They break apart, needing air, and Jack finishes removing Ianto’s trousers and black boxer briefs. He takes a moment to appreciate the sight, mentally – and almost physically – drooling. 

“Go on, get in the bunk,” Jack orders softly.

It takes Ianto a moment to recognize that words were said, then he nods slowly and turns to go into the cabin. Jack lingers a bit and removes the rest of his own clothing, leaving it strewn across the cockpit haphazardly. They could always tidy up later. He makes his way to the cabin, where Ianto is laying naked on the bottom bunk, looking blissed out, yet tense and aroused. Ianto doesn’t even look up when Jack enters the room. Jack lays down on top of Ianto, a comfortable weight in his current mental state, and places his elbows on either side of Ianto’s head, looking down. There’s always so much being communicated through both men’s eyes, that they don’t need words. 

Jack leans down and kisses Ianto’s nose, and Ianto giggles. Jack smiles brightly then proceeds to kiss his way down Ianto’s face, to his neck, to his chest – where he spends quite a bit of time laving, biting, and blowing on his nipples – then lower, to his firm stomach. He dips his tongue into Ianto’s navel, causing him to giggle again, then moves lower to Ianto’s hips. He sucks up matching hickeys on Ianto’s hipbones. Ianto places his hands in Jack’s hair, not guiding or pushing, just holding. Moving lower again, Jack bites down on the inside of Ianto’s right thigh. Ianto cries out and tries to pull his leg away, but Jack growls a warning and bites down harder, effectively keeping him in place. When he releases Ianto’s thigh, there’s another purplish bruise, matching the one on his shoulder. Ianto whimpers and lightly tugs on Jack’s hair, trying to get him to move his mouth to where they both really want it. Jack smirks to himself and obeys Ianto’s wishes, He starts slow, taking his time by bathing Ianto’s cock with his tongue and nibbling on the vein on the underside of his shaft. He blows a cool breath across the younger man’s cock, and it twitches in anticipation. Ianto is squirming now, underneath Jack. 

“Jack, please, do something,” Ianto pleads.

“Always so polite, my beautiful Welshman.”

Ianto whimpers again in response, then he shouts and bucks up when Jack suddenly plunges his mouth down to the root of his arousal. Jack pulls back up and laves the head, dipping his tongue into the slit, then swallowing him down again whole and swallowing around him. Ianto is trying and failing to not thrust his hips up into Jack’s warm, wet mouth. Jack makes an approving noise in the back of his throat, and the vibrations drive Ianto almost to the edge much too soon. He lets go and starts thrusting his hips with abandon until his climax finally hits him like a freight train, and he wordlessly shouts his release. Jack swallows it all down and continues to lick Ianto clean until Ianto pushes his head away, his spent cock too sensitive.

Jack crawls back up Ianto’s body and kisses him thoroughly, tongue delving inside his mouth and sliding along Ianto’s. They kiss leisurely for a few minutes before Jack leans down and reaches under the bed for the tube of lube they keep there. He squirts a bit onto his palm to warm it up a bit then spreads it over his fingers. He moves to spoon behind Ianto to get into a better position and, without anymore ado, pushes one slicked finger into Ianto’s tight entrance. He fucks Ianto slowly with his finger, making it a point not to touch his prostate. Soon, he adds a second finger, scissoring Ianto open. All the while, his free hand is stroking random patterns on the side of Ianto’s thigh. He adds a third finger and twists, just so, and Ianto cries out, his cock stirring again.

Once Jack has deemed Ianto thoroughly prepared, he slicks up his own aching erection and places the head just at his entrance. Agonizingly slowly, he pushes inside, past that initial ring of muscle, into warm, welcoming, tight heat until he’s fully seated inside his partner. He pauses for a moment to catch his breath, until Ianto begins to move impatiently against him. Jack can take a hint, and he starts with a slow, languid rhythm, pulling out until just the head remained inside, then plunging back in firmly. Ianto lets out a gasp as Jack’s slow thrusts unerringly nail his prostate every time. He’s fully hard again and fisting his cock in time with Jack’s leisurely pace, but he soon grows impatient again. He lets out a frustrated growl, and Jack starts moving faster, now pounding into him. Jack grips his hip for better leverage and just lets loose.

Ianto is moaning and grunting loudly now, and he’s thrusting back against Jack with abandon. They find their rough rhythm, with Jack hitting Ianto’s prostate and Ianto periodically clenching his muscles around Jack’s shaft to drive him wild. Pressure builds in Jack’s abdomen, and he knows he’s close, so close. He pushes Ianto’s hand away from his own cock and takes over, wrapping his calloused hand around the twitching erection. He’s pumping in time with his own thrusts now, and laving attention on the back of Ianto’s neck in kisses, licks, and small nips.

“I’m close Ianto…” Jack says, strained.

“Me too, Jack,” Ianto replies breathlessly.

All at once, Jack twists his wrist around Ianto’s cock, bites down hard on the back of his neck, and hits his prostate dead-on. Ianto cries out Jack’s name as his second release washes over him. The pressure of Ianto’s arse clenching around Jack is too much, and he follows Ianto over the edge, spilling his semen into him. Both men lie there, catching their breath and slowing their hearts. Jack has wrapped his arm across Ianto’s chest, holding him there, remaining inside him for just a bit longer. After a few moments, Jack’s cock fully softens and slips from Ianto’s hole. They both groan softly at the loss.

Both men begin to doze, spooned together as they are, in the small bunk. More often than not, they sleep like this, even though there’s a second bunk above them. Jack woke up first from their little nap, and he carefully slid down to the end of the bed to get up, trying not to wake Ianto. Jack finds a cloth in the wardrobe and wipes himself off, then he walks into the cockpit and begins to redress. He looks out of the windscreen and stops dead. Something is wrong. The stars look wrong. He’s been in this part of space a hundred times, and the stars look wrong. Jack begins frantically searching the charts and maps on each display screen, and his blood runs cold. 

“IANTO!” Jack yells frantically.

There’s a muffled bang and a Welsh curse from the direction of the sleep quarters, then Ianto stumbles out, still naked, and rubbing his forehead.

“What? What? I’m up,” Ianto grumbles.

“I have some… news,” Jack starts, practically whispering. “You’re not gonna like it.”

Ianto’s face is schooled into one of indifference, a coping mechanism for when shit’s about to hit the fan. He waits patiently for Jack to elaborate on their next spot of trouble.

“We are… in a different universe,” says Jack, haltingly.

Ianto freezes in place, forgetting that he’s still naked, and his mind whirls. A different universe? How is that even possible? That’s the first thought in his head, followed by holyshitholyshitholshit. 

“What…” Ianto clears his throat and tries again, “What do we do? How do we get back?”

Jack turns to face Ianto. “I’m… not sure. I mean, we could try going back to the coordinates where we slipped through, try to get back, but this really shouldn’t have been possible in the first place.”

“Wait… Are you sure we’re in the wrong universe? What if you just don’t recognize this part of space, which would be funny, considering,” Ianto says, smirking.

Jack is completely confused. “Considering what? What are you talking about?”

“Well, turn around. There’s Earth,” Ianto points out, gesturing to the windscreen behind Jack.

Jack spins around, and sure enough, there’s Earth, or rather an alternate version of it, he’s convinced. Ianto starts to redress himself while Jack sets the nav system for Cardiff. Once they land in a secluded warehouse district, they disembark from the ship onto the empty street. Everything looks normal, at least. They begin to wander a bit, recognizing some of the street signs, and eventually the end up at the Roald Dahl Plass.

“See! I told you we were fine!” Ianto exclaims.

“I’m not convinced,” Jack says, apprehensive. “We need to tread carefully.”

The two men make their way to a bench near the pier, and they wait for someone to emerge from the little tourist office shack that is the front for Torchwood. They wait for hours before the door finally opens, revealing… Tosh and Owen. Both men’s jaws dropped, and they froze on the spot. As Tosh and Owen run off in one direction, Jack and Ianto stay rooted until they’re out of sight. Then they move, heading towards the tourist office, and by extension, the Hub. Once Jack unlocks the door with his Vortex Manipulator, they slip inside, unnoticed. Pressing the button to open the secret door, the two men made their way down into the Hub proper. The giant cogwheel door was no match for the Manipulator, and soon, they were inside. It looked exactly like their Hub, only dirtier. Debris and paper dotted the floor and dust seems to cling to every surface except two of the desks and the autopsy bay.

“Jack… Ianto?” a quiet, feminine voice says.

Both men whirl on the spot to see Tosh and Owen standing there, just as shocked as they were.

“What the bloody fuck?! You two are dead!” Owen exclaims.

Then, as fast as lightning, Owen’s got his gun trained on Jack, and Tosh has hers on Ianto. At least I trained them well… Jack thinks to himself with a smirk. He puts his hands up, showing he means no harm, and Ianto follows suit. Owen slowly walks over and relieves Jack and Ianto of their guns, patting them down for other weapons, then backs away just as cautiously.

“So,” Owen starts, his gun trained back on Jack. “Who wants to explain what the hell you’re doing here, when you two have been dead for 6 months?”

After a few moments, Ianto clears his throat, drawing the attention to himself. “Well, I suppose there’s an easy explanation. We’re from another universe.”

Tosh’s eyes widen, and she makes an aborted startled noise. “I knew it!” she shouts, making everyone flinch at the sudden sound.

“Knew what?” Owen demands harshly.

“That there were other universes! I’ve been getting strange signals for the last month that could in no way originate from here. The wavelengths were completely different to anything in this universe,” she explains, like it’s no big deal.

Jack is smiling. Leave it to Toshiko to figure that out when most would’ve assumed it was only something alien. Out of nowhere, he catches a glimpse of something shining on Tosh’s left hand.

“You’re… married, Tosh?” he inquires softly, in awe.

“What? Oh, yeah. To this bastard, if you can believe it,” she says, gesturing to Owen.

“Oi!” Owen shouts indignantly.

Everyone chuckles and the tension lifts just a bit. Toshiko re-holsters her gun, but Owen’s still got his, safety off, against his side. 

“Well, I’m planning on running a battery of tests against you both to see if you’re telling the truth,” Owen announces. He flips the safety on his gun and re-holsters it, as well.

After about an hour, both men had been poked and prodded and scanned more times than they care to admit.

“Well, I can’t see anything besides the fact that your blood types don’t register on our systems,” Owen says, puzzled.

“That’s odd,” Ianto says. “What are your blood types here?”

“There’s OB, IL, and EX, all with pos or neg,” Owen replies.

“Ours are A, AB, B, and O, all with positive or negative,” Jack adds.

“Oh! I’ve got to see that,” Owen says, smiling a smile that has always unnerved Ianto. It’s the smile he gets right before he cuts into a species they haven’t encountered before.

“Please no vivisections, thank you very much,” Ianto grumbles from behind Jack.

Everyone turns to look at him, then they all burst out laughing, causing Ianto to frown.

“I can almost say I missed you, tea-boy,” Owen says, walking over and clapping a hand on Ianto’s shoulder.

“Well, I certainly did,” Tosh interjects.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Jack claps and says, “So, kids…”

“Oh, don’t call us kids, Jack. We’ve been managing this place, just the two of us for a year, now,” Owen states, exasperated.

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry, I suppose I’m just used to it,” Jack admits. Then, “Wait, just the two of you? What about Gwen?”

“Oh, Gwen was completely torn apart when you died, Jack. She was madly in love with you,” Tosh puts in.

“What about Rhys?” Jack wondered.

“She had Rhys, too, but she was a little obsessive over you. You were her knight in shining armor after saving her from that Iriggol. She wanted to be retconned back to her police days,” Tosh said softly, feeling slightly awkward about the whole Gwen situation, still.

“It’s a shame, really. We were all really good friends. She just couldn’t handle life without the Great Captain,” Owen says, bitterly.

“Hey! I am pretty great,” Jack shouts, offended.

“I don’t mean you weren’t. I mean that she was overly obsessed to the point of trying to split you and tea-boy up.”

“Oh. Well, that’s not bloody likely,” Jack responds.

Ianto clears his throat and speaks up, “Jack, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Confused, Jack huddles next to Ianto with a question on his face.

Quietly, so they’re not overheard, “Why don’t we take them back with us?”

“What? Seriously?” Jack says a little too loudly.

“Yeah, I mean, if they want to. It doesn’t seem like either has much reason for staying besides each other.”

“It doesn’t hurt to ask, I suppose. Gwen would be thrilled,” Jack adds.

They speak for a few more minutes about the logistics of four people on board a two-man spacecraft and decide that shifts are the best way to go. Once decided, they both turn back to a disgruntled looking Owen and a politely curious Toshiko.

“Okay ki- guys, I have an idea. How do you feel about coming back to our universe with us?” Jack says with his arms spread out, as he was if offering everything they could ever want.

After a pregnant pause, a glance at each other, and a thoughtful expression from Tosh, both of them in unison say, “Yes.”

“Now, before you – oh. I didn’t think it would be that easy,” Jack says, surprised.

Ianto chuckles beside him and puts a hand on his shoulder. “I told you.”

“Please, Jack, the only thing left here are the weevils, and the police can handle them,” Tosh pleads.

“What do you mean, ‘the only thing left here are the weevils’?” 

“I mean, after the 456 came, aliens stopped coming to Earth. The Rift closed, as if it were there by someone’s making, and not a random tear in time and space,” Tosh explains.

Jack is stunned into momentary silence while he processes what she just told them. Then he realizes she mentioned the 456.

“Is that how we died, the 456?” He asks.

Tosh just looks down and away and that’s all the answer he needs.

“Well… that’s not surprising. We did too,” Jack says, not thinking about the fact that he just dropped the immortality bomb on two people who don’t actually know them.

“What?” Owen and Tosh said in unison.

“Oh… yeah, sorry, we’re kind of immortal. Probably should’ve mentioned that at some point,” Jack says, contrite.

Ianto just rolls his eyes and tells them the stories of how Jack and he became immortal. Both are listening with rapt attention, and Toshiko looks like she wants to take notes. Owen has that unsettling smile on his face again.

“So… you can’t die?” Tosh asks quietly.

“Can’t stay dead,” Jack and Ianto say in unison.

There’s a pause as Owen and Tosh process the consequences of that simple sentence. Tosh gasps and puts a hand over her mouth in shock. Owen was just shaking his head with a frown. 

“So! Let’s get a move on. We really don’t know how much of a window of time we have to get back,” Jack announces.

It’s like a spell was broken, and Tosh and Owen both scramble to gather what little belongings they’d be taking with them. Tosh grab a few pieces of tech, while Owen went to gather their clothes from the manhole in the office floor.

“Huh… I guess they live here,” Jack ponders aloud.

“With just the two of them, it makes sense to be on hand all the time,” Ianto provides.

“Yeah, I suppose. I just never wanted any of you to be so wholly immersed in Torchwood. I wanted you all to have lives outside, no matter how little,” Jack says sadly.

“What I’m wondering, is what about all the alien tech and weapons they’re leaving behind?”

“Either Toshiko can put the place on permanent lockdown, or they can hand control over to UNIT. I’ll let them decide.”

By now, the two men had wandered up from the autopsy bay into the Hub proper, and they were simply waiting on Owen and Tosh to finish their packing. After about 15 minutes, both couples were standing face to face; Owen and Tosh just a bit breathless from rushing around. As they prepared to leave for good, Tosh decided to put the Hub on permanent lockdown. If UNIT really wanted to get inside, surely, they’d find a way. The four of them walked across the Plass, back towards the warehouses where Jack parked their ship. Once they arrived at the ship, Owen spoke up.

“How are four grown adults supposed to fit in there?!”

“There are two bunks, as well as two seats in the cockpit. We’ll take shifts with one of you sleeping, while the other flies with one of us. It should only be a few days flight our Earth, anyway,” Ianto supplies.

They all boarded the now crowded ship. Ianto took Tosh and Owen’s bags and stored them under the bottom bunk. 

“Toshi, you ought to sleep first. You’ve been up longer than I have,” Owen says softly, pecking Tosh on the cheek.

“Alright, Owen. Only because you asked so nicely,” Tosh says with a small smile.

Jack is beaming at the exchange, while Ianto is looking away, trying to give them some semblance of privacy.

“I’ll take the first flying shift, Jack. It was my turn, anyway,” Ianto says.

“No, no, you didn’t get enough sleep earlier, and I need it less than you, right now. Go on,” Jack replies with a light smack to Ianto’s arse. 

“Jack! Not in front of guests,” Ianto chastises softly, but makes his way to the cabin with Tosh.

Jack only chuckles in response. He settles into the pilot’s seat, with Owen to his right.

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road,” Jack says, rubbing his hands together.

“No need for dramatics, Harkness. Just get us outta here,” Owen snipes.

“There’s the Owen I missed,” Jack chuckles.

Jack takes the ship to the upper atmosphere quickly, then they’re surrounded by the blackness of space, with Earth behind them. Owen stares in awe at the sky, then quickly schools his face into unimpressed, but not before Jack catches it and laughs quietly. The flight back to the coordinates where Jack and Ianto originally slipped through were easy enough to find. It was really just a matter of could they just as simply slip back through? 

“So,” Owen starts, “You never did tell us what happened to your Owen and Tosh.”

“Ah, yeah…” Jack trails off, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “Well, they… died. About two years ago, now.”

“Oh. I’d ask how, but I’m not really sure I want to know,” Owen says, matter of fact.

“Best not,” Jack says, with a faraway look, remembering the loss of two of his team.

“Oi, eyes on the sky, Harkness,” Owen interrupts Jack’s train of thought.

The flight back to the right universe turned out to be quite easy. There was a sudden flash of light, then they were there. Jack set the coordinates for Cardiff, Wales, Earth, and they were about three days’ flight away. They were very uneventful days, with the flying/sleeping shifts running smoothly. Ianto got along with this Tosh even more than his old Tosh. He suspects it’s because of her higher confidence and ability to laugh at herself. Jack and Owen have always had an understanding, no matter which version was there, so when they were awake, there was very little talking, and just a peaceful coexistence with the occasional snarky remark.

Once they arrived in Wales, they made a plan to meet with Gwen to surprise her. They intended to go see her at her house, with Tosh and Owen hiding, then have them reveal themselves when the moment was right. She may have a heart attack, Ianto thought wryly. The four of them stopped for something to eat before they embarked on the drive to Gwen’s house. Once there, Tosh and Owen hid off to the side of the door, while Ianto politely knocked. Rhys opened the door and immediately called out, “Gwen!”

“So, not dead, then, boys?” Rhys says jovially.

“Hah hah, Rhys,” Jack responds sarcastically.

Ianto just rolls his eyes, then Gwen is there, throwing herself at him in a tight hug. She releases him after a moment, then does the same to Jack, who picks her up and spins her around. She laughs loudly, and when she’s back on her own feet, she smacks Jack’s arm.

“Ow!” He says, rubbing the offended arm. “What was that for?”

“Phone ahead next time and let us know you’re still alive, you prat!” she says sternly.

“Couldn’t exactly phone where we were, I’m sorry,” Jack replies, chastised. “But we have a surprise for you…”

Jack and Ianto step to the side as Tosh and Owen come into view. Gwen’s eyes are as wide as saucers, and her jaw is doing something that resembles a fish out of water.

“What did you do, Jack?” she demands.

“Hey!” Jack protests. “What makes you think it was me? It was Ianto’s idea to invite them back with us.”

Ianto just rolls his eyes hard as Jack throws him under the bus. “Yes, it was originally my idea, thank you, Jack.”

“Back from where?” Gwen asks.

“Well, we kind of somehow ended up in an alternate universe at some point, met them there on Earth, then brought them back with us,” Jack explained.

“Alternate – what? Seriously?” Gwen’s grinning – a little manic – now.

“Seriously,” Jack and Ianto say together.

“We were napping after some spectacular sex – “ Jack starts.

“Oi, Harkness, don’t need to hear that!” Owen interrupts.

“ – And when we woke up, we had somehow slipped through a tear in time and space and ended up there,” Ianto finishes.

“Oh. Right,” Gwen mumbles. “Alternate universe, no big deal.”

After a pause, Rhys speaks up, “Well, are you gonna invite them in, or let them stand out there, freezing their bollocks off?”

“Right! Everyone, in. Good thing Rhys always cooks enough for a football team.”

They all shuffle inside the big stone house, where Gwen lead them to the dining area, off from the kitchen. As Rhys makes tea for everyone, with Ianto’s help, they all settle in around the table, when Gwen asks, “So, full story, now, Jack?”

Jack explains about him and Ianto flying through, trying to get to a space station called Orenis to restock their supplies, when they both dozed off for a bit and woke up where the stars didn’t look familiar. After the initial panic, and the discovery of Tosh and Owen, they decided to invite them back to their universe. Jack finishes his story with them ending up on Gwen’s doorstep.

“So, what about you two, then?” She asks, nodding to Tosh and Owen, in turn.

Owen starts by explaining what happened with the 456 in their universe, and the lack of aliens afterwards. Tosh jumps in, telling Gwen of what happened to the alternate her, omitting the part where she became utterly obsessed with Jack. Both Tosh and Owen were holding hands the entire time, under the table, not that it escaped Gwen’s notice. When they finished, she kept her questions about it to herself.

About an hour or so later, the sun had begun to set. The tea had long since been finished or gone cold, and everyone was winding down from the story telling. There was a peaceful air to the room as everyone was lost amongst their own thoughts of what happened to get them here, and what was going to come next. Jack breaks the silence first.

“So, Gwen. Got room for two more on your team?”

“Of course, Jack. We would be more than happy to have you two on board,” she replies, looking at Tosh and Owen.

Tosh breathes a sigh of relief, and Owen smiles. Neither of them had known what they would do, if not Torchwood. It’s all they’ve known for years, and it has become their life, quite literally, since they were living in their Hub.

“Thank you,” Tosh sighs.

“Well, we should be off, I’m sure that baby Anwen needs some attention. We’ll get a hotel for us and Tosh and Owen,” Jack states.

Everyone gets up to say their goodbyes. Gwen kisses Tosh and Owen on the cheek. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispers.

“Us too,” Tosh says.

Jack ended up booking two rooms at the St. David’s for the two couples. Once in their room, Jack and Ianto ordered room service and settled in for the evening. They weren’t entirely sure how long they’d be staying on Earth, yet, so they booked both rooms for a week. After dinner, Ianto went out to stand on the balcony, enjoying the cool night air. A short time later, Jack joins him, walking up behind and wrapping his arms around the Welshman.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Jack asks softly, smiling in Ianto’s ear.

Ianto sighs and turns to face Jack, staying in the circumference of his arms. He places his hands on Jack’s shoulders and leans his forehead against Jack’s chest. They stay like that for a few minutes, before Jack shakes Ianto lightly and asks, “What’s eating you?”

Almost as an automatic reaction, Ianto leers at him and says, “Hopefully you, in a bit.”

Jack laughs throatily at that and tightens his hold on Ianto. “Maybe in a bit. What’s bothering you, Ianto?”

“Please don’t be mad, but… I want to stay for a while,” Ianto says, burying his face in Jack’s neck. Jack opens his mouth to respond, but Ianto continues, “You and I have unlimited lifetimes ahead of us. I want to spend time with the people we care about, while we still can.”

There’s a brief pause, where Jack mulls over what Ianto’s saying, and then he simply says, “Okay. We can stay.” He places a lingering kiss on Ianto’s temple and pulls back to look him in the eye. “If that’s what you want, we’ll stay.”

“Really? Are you sure? I mean, you don’t have to…”

“I’m not going anywhere without you, Jones, Ianto Jones. I certainly wouldn’t mind spending time with everyone… while we still have the chance to.”

“Okay. Good. Now… about that eating you mentioned…” Ianto trails off with a grin.

“Oh, yeah… I could do with a snack” Jacks breathes, then he leans down to capture Ianto’s mouth in a hot kiss, all lips and tongue and teeth.

When they break for air some minutes later, pressed against each other, both men can feel the other’s arousal through denim and cotton. Jack places one hand on the back of Ianto’s neck and kisses him once more, softly, then leads him to the bed, where they fall in and lose themselves in each other for the first time in 5 days, 3 hours, and 17, no, 18 minutes.


End file.
